Record controlled machine



Aug. 5, 1958 D. H. sLoAT RECORD CONTROLLED MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DANlEL H. sLoAT INVENTOR @Nm mmm Jlll...

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RECORD CONTROLLED MACHINE IN V EN TOR.

DANIEL H. sLoAT BY v AIToRNVEY United States Patent RECORD CONTROLLED MACHINE Daniel H. Slaat, Uwego, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 15, 1951, Serial No. 261,839

9 Claims. (Cl. 209--110) This invention relates to accounting and statistical .record controlled distributing machines.

The primary object is to improve the machine disclosed in Patent 2,558,941, issued July 3, 1951.

Machines of the type disclosed in the above patent are commonly equipped with a record sorting or distributing mechanism of the general type disclosed in Patent 1,741,985 and means for tabulating the results of statistical compilations.

The machine of Patent 2,558,941 is usually arranged so that, while a counting operation is in process, the records from which the facts entering into the compilation are derived are also sorted according to predetermined classifications derived from the cards as a preliminary to the next run through the machine which may be a similar type of compilation in which the facts are tabulated according to a different classification. In order to make sure that the cards from which the facts are derived are correctly sorted into the pockets, there is provided a comparison circuit network and detecting devices as a means for checking contacts representing the destination selected for the cards with contacts representing the actual destination determined by the selective operation of the record distributing mechanism.

In the machine disclosed in Patent 2,558,941, the actual destination of the, record is denoted by the number of destination detecting contacts which are made between the ends of the usual sorting blades and the contact segments of a contact strip attached to the armature of the sorting magnet, the comparison test circuits for these contacts being closed at a particular point in the cycle after the last possible destination could have been determined.

The destinations selected for the accounting and statistical record cards in Patent 2,558,941 are determined by the sorting control relays R107P to RllSP, which are selectively energized to control the sorting or record distributing mechanism in the manner described in the patent. Certain of the contacts of these relays represent selected destinations and are in a series parallel circuit arrangement with the sort-check electronic tubes V125, V126 and the destination detecting contacts or segments 145e which coact with the contacts found at the end of the sorting blades 114 to represent the actual destination of a record.

It has been found from actual experience with the machine disclosed in Patent 2,558,941, that the sorting blades are occasionally somewhat erratic in closing cir cuits to the segments of the checking commutator. The checking arrangement disclosed in Patent 2,558,941 has two comparison circuit testing tubes, one of which must be made conductive and the other must not be made conductive if the actual destination of a card as represented by the destination detecting contacts agrees with its selected destination as represented by the destination representing contacts. `lf any of the sorting blades which should be making contact with their segments are insulated from the segments by means other than the card,

one or the other of the comparison circuit testing tubes, which should and should not be made conductive, is caused to assume the reverse condition thereby causing a false error indication which may result in marking a card which otherwise is correctly punched and about to be correctly sorted. In other Words, the machine of Patent 2,558,941 frequently stops unnecessarily and sometimes marks cards unnecessarily as a result of failure of the blades which should make contact to make contact.

For example, let it be assumed that a card is destined for 'the 3 pocket and correctly passes between the blades leading to the 3 and 4 pockets so that the "3 blade should be making electrical contact with the corresponding destination detecting contact or segment on the armature of the sorting magnet. Also assume there is an accumulation of card lint or other non-co n ductive material between the 3 blade and its segment, thus insulating such blade. This has the same effect as if the leading edge of the card were one index-point position in advance of its correct position and normally would cause the checking tubes to render the machine stop and the card marking circuits effective in the manner described in Patent 2,558,941. It has also been found'that the segments and blades sometimes become so oxidized as to make poor contact which has the same effect as fuzz or lint.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate such false indications of error.

Under normal conditions, the voltage of the power supply used in this type of machine is sufficient to control the checking tubes provided electrical contact between the segments and the blades is good. However, a small amount of fuzz may separate the blades very slightly with a small air gap which is too large for the normal potential to are across the contacts and render the tubes properly effective and ineffective.

According to the present invention, it is proposed to first test the circuit with the ordinary voltage supply for the machine and, if the tubes do not respond properly to the test, to apply a higher test voltage which is strong enough to arc over the small air gap which may result from a piece of lint separating the blade and the segment slightly. On account of the sensitivity of the tubes to even small voltages, the high voltage arc is usually sufiicient to establish the correct circuits but is not sufcient to arc through the card and thereby cause a false indication.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by Way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a portion of the wiring diagram of the machine showing modifications in the wiring to incorporate the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a portion of the timing chart,

in order to provide a means of testing the circuit with a high voltage impulse, there is provided a suitable transformer T, the primary of which is` in series with the timing contacts C28 and the contacts of a card lever relay LCRZ. The secondary of the transformer is in series with a rectifier R6 and the contacts C14 between the negative wire N1 and the positive wire P1.

When the machine is in operation, the contacts of relay LCR2 are normally closed and this will be assumed herein. After the card has been sensed and its actual destination has been determined by an operation of the sorting blades under control of destination selecting relays R107P to'R118P, those blades 114 (Fig. 1) to theV right of the leading edge of the card will be raised and will be insulated from the segments 14Sa by the card whereas those blades to the left of the leading edge of the card will be in contact with their respective segments. Assuming that the contacts are all clean and that the card is intended for the 3 pocket, the blades 114i associated with the 0 to 3, 12, and ll segments 145a (Fig. l) will be making Contact with their segments 145er whereas the 4 blade 114 and all others to the right will be insulated, when at approximately 245 of the cycle, the contacts C14 close and a circuit will be closed from source of potential P1, contacts C14, the card lever relay contacts LCR2, the 3 blade 114 and its segment 145e, the contacts R113C of the 3 relay R113P, and thence in series through the contacts R112B, R111B, RIMB, R109B, 12.1683, R107B, R26B to the grid of the Sort-Check tube V125. The relay R26 functions as described in the patent to prevent the marking device or the automatic stop control from functioning to mark the card and/or stop the machine, in the manner described in the above patent, and the card will ultimately become deposited in the 3 pocket.

Now let it be assumed that the 3 blade 114 is slightly separated from the 3 segment 14551 by the presence of a shred of lint or due to oxidation of the 3 segment 145:1, thereby insulating the 3 blade from its segment 1455:. The 3 relay 111131, however, was energized since this relay controls the selection of the 3 pocket and, under normal conditions, a circuit should be established as tirst described above through the 3 contacts R113() to cause the tube V125 to be made current conducting. Due to the fact, however, that the 3 blade 114 is assumed to be insulated by a shred of lint, the tube V125 cannot normally be rendered conductive and the relay R26 will not function to prevent operation of the marking magnet or the automatic stop control so that the card which actually is not in error will be correctly deposited in the 3 pocket but will be marked as in error.

With the present arrangement, if the iirst test impulse fails, a second test impulse of higher potential is applied to the blades i141I by means of the transformer T. To obtain this impulse, the contacts C28 close at 283 and reopen at approximately 233 during the period in which both contacts C26, C27 are still closed. The surge due to the breaking of the contacts C28 causes the secondary of the transformer to apply a high voltage impulse to the blades 114 through rectifier R6 and the contacts of relay LCRZ. This impulse is produced by the collapsing of the magnetic eld in the transformer which functions as an induction coil.

Since contacts C14 are now open the high voltage impulse of current can only ilow in a circuit which starts from the negative side of the line N1, and extends through the secondary of the transformer T, the rectifier R6, the contacts of relay LCRZ, the sorting blades 114, and one or more of the various contacts of the destination selecting relays RlltP to R118P which, in the assumed condition would be through the 3 blade 114 and the 3 segment 145e, contacts R113@ and so on to contacts RZSB as previously traced above, to the control grid of the tube V125, land the internal connections of the power supply unit, back to the negative wire N1. This surge of high voltage is sufiicient to cause an arc between the blades 114 and the destination detecting contact segments 145e and produces the same eiect as the low voltage power supply for the machine and causes the tube V125 to become conductive and prevent` the marking magnet and automatic stop control from functioning.

If the low voltage control becomes effective in the manner rst described, the relay R26 through its contacts RZtSB will interrupt the tested circuit to the grid of tube V125 and prevent the high voltage impulse from reaching the grid of the tube V125. In a similar manner, if the conditions are such that tube V126 might be tired as described in Patent 2,558,941, with or without tiring of '4 the tube V125, the relay (2R26 will open the circuit to the grid of tube V126 and prevent the high voltage impulse from reaching the grid of tube V126.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a machine controlled by accounting and statistical records and having record sorting means, and means to select a destination for a record, the combination of a series of destination detecting contacts controlled by a record after its destination has been determined by the sorting means, a series of destination representative contacts, a series of test circuits each including one of the first named contacts and one of the second named contacts, a circuit test device, means to initially apply a relatively low voltage test pulse to the test circuits after the destination is selected which tends to energize said test device if the actual destination and selected destination agree, and means to apply a higher voltage test pulse to said test circuits and test device.

2. In a machine controlled by accounting and statistical records and having record sorting means, and means to select a destination for a record, the combination of a series of destination detecting contacts controlled by a record after its destination has been determined by the sorting means, a series of destination representative contacts, a series of test circuits each including one of the first named contacts and one of the second named contacts, a circuit test device, means to initially apply a relatively low voltage test pulse to the test circuits after the destination is selected which tends to energize said test device if the actual destination and selected destination agree, and means to apply a higher voltage test pulse to said test circuits and test device, said test means including means to suppress the second pulse if said device is affected by the first pulse.

3. In a machine controlled by accounting and statistical records and having record distributing means, the combination of a pair of test devices, a series of contact devices representing actual destinations closed by each record after its destination has been determined, a series of contact devices closed to represent selected destinations, a test network including said contacts and said devices, means to initially apply a relatively low voltage test impulse to said test network tending to render one or both of said test devices operative, and means to apply a second higher voltage test impulse to said network` t 4. In a machine controlled by accounting and statistical records and having record distributing means, the combination of a pair of test devices, a series of contact devices representing actual destinations closed by each record aft-er its destination has been determined, a series of contact devices closed to represent selected destinations, a test network including said contacts and said devices, means to initially apply a relatively low voltage test impulse to said test network tending to render one or both of said test devices operative, means to apply a second higher voltage test impulse to said network and means controlled by said devices for suppressing the higher voltage impulse when either of said devices is atiectcd,

5. In a machine controlled by accounting and statistical records and having record sorting mechanism; the combination of a series of contact devices including contact elements separated by a sorted record, according to its ultimate destination, to represent such destination; a series of contact devices representative of selected destinations, a circuit test device, circuit connections placing all of said contacts in a series parallel network with said device whereby, when a record is correctly sorted, the test device will be rendered effective; means to apply an initial low Voltage test impulse to said device through said circuit connections, and means to apply a second higher voltage test pulse subsequently to the tirst pulse.

6. In a sorting machine, a series of parallel comparison test circuits, each including a nal destination representative contact device and a destination selection contact device, a comparison detection device in a seriesparallel circuit with said test circuits, means to initially connect a source of low voltage test impulses to said series-parallel circuit to render said detection device operative, and means to apply a high voltage test voltage to said series-parallel circuit subsequent to said first pulse.

7. In a sorting machine, a series of parallel comparison test circuits, each including a destination representative contact device and a destination selection contact device, a comparison circuit testing device in a seriesparallel circuit with said test circuits, means to initially connect a source of low voltage test impulses to said series-parallel circuit to render said testing device operative, means to apply a high voltage test voltage to said series-parallel circuit and means rendered operative by said testing device for preventing the application of the high test voltage when said testing device is rendered operative by low voltage test impulses.

8. In a machine of the class described, a contact device comprising two contact elements adapted to be separated by the passage of a record therebetween, a test device, a test circuit including said contact device and said test device and a second contact device closed as a preliminary to testing said first contact device, means to apply an initial test impulse to said circuit, and means to apply to said circuit a second test impulse of considerably higher potential to ensure the operation of said test device when the rst contact device is closed but making such poor contact as to block said initial test impulse.

9. In a machine of the class described, a contact device comprising two contact elements adapted to be separated by the passage of a record therebetween, a test device, a test circuit including said contact device and said test device and a second contact device closed as a preliminary to testing said first Contact device, means to apply an initial test impulse to said circuit, means to apply a second test impulse of considerably higher potential to said test circuit to ensure the operation of said test device when the irst contact device is closed but making such poor contact as to block said initial test impulse, and means made operative by said test device to prevent the application of the second impulse if the rst impulse takes elect.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

